Brave New World, Freedom vs control

Essay by nylaxCollege, UndergraduateA, April 2004

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In the novel Brave New World the author portrays a world in which humans are no longer born, but grown. In this so-called utopian world humans are grown and genetically altered so that they are content with their role in society. Each caste is altered so they are more efficient at their social task. The alphas are bred to be large, strong, and smart. While the deltas, gammas, and epsilons are bred to be small and dumb, so they can be content with their simple tasks. The rulers of the new world are trying to create a society in which there are no ups and downs, only one middle path of stability. They believe to do this they must have every member of society act in the same way. Every human of the world state is conditioned to do exactly what he or she pleases, as if they were all children trying to fulfill their short-term desires, while long-term goals have no bearing on them at all.

The thought of marriage and growing old with somebody disgusts somebody of the world state. While the new world state achieved their goal of having a stable society, thy also were able to abolish all individualism and self-expression.

In this novel John the savage represents the ideas of the old world, where people are allowed to function in society however they see fit, and you are responsible for your own destiny in life. He tries to function in the world state but everything he sees disgusts him. He wants to be exiled along with Bernard and Helmholtz to the islands where people are sent when they don't react well to the world state order. On these exile islands there are actually people of interest who read literature and can discuss things with...